Will the Land of Forests Be India’s Next Big Travel Destination?

 Penned by Prakriti Parul

I grew up in BIT Mesra Campus, where winter mornings were unlike anywhere else in Ranchi. The temperature would drop below freezing, and fog wrapped the hills in a ghostly embrace—just like Kanke, another pocket of extreme cold in an otherwise moderate landscape. But beyond the chill, Jharkhand was always a land of mysteries—lush forests, hidden waterfalls, ancient caves, and folklore that whispered through the trees.

If you’ve ever travelled by train through this state, you’d know what I mean. The tracks cut through dense forests, and sudden rocky cliffs reveal man-made caves—remnants of the British era when dynamite blasted through hills to make way for railways. And then there are the ghatis (valleys)—serene, untouched, where time slows down.

Ranchi’s Must-Experience Wonders

Sacred Heights: Pahari Mandir & Chiraundi’s Mystical Slopes

Every Ranchi local knows the sunset ritual—climbing the 468 steps to Pahari Mandir as the city lights flicker to life below. At dawn, the hill transforms into a spiritual observatory where devotees and photographers alike jostle for space near the Shiva lingam.

Twenty minutes northeast, Chiraundi Pahad remains Ranchi’s best-kept secret. Unlike the crowded temple hill, this dome-shaped peak offers solitary trails through sal forests. Elders claim a medieval ascetic’s meditation here imbued the rocks with healing energy—a belief that draws arthritis sufferers to rub their joints against specific boulders.

Waterfalls That Whisper Legends

Jharkhand’s cascades aren’t mere scenic stops—they’re liquid archives of tribal history:

• Dassam Falls’ Tragic Chorus: The thunderous plunge where the Subarnarekha River drops 144 feet earned its name (Dassam -ten) from a chilling Munda folktale. As the story goes, ten sisters bathing here were swept away, their spirits now manifesting as rainbow mists at midday.
• Hundru’s Divine Guardian: At 320 feet, Jharkhand’s tallest waterfall has a unique basalt column formation resembling a giant’s staircase. Oraon tribals conduct annual pujas to appease the waterfall’s guardian spirit—a ritual tourist can witness every July.
• Jonha’s Buddhist Connection: Also called Gautamdhara, this tiered cascade features a rock-cut Buddhist shrine where monks still meditate. The real magic happens at sunrise when the falls’ spray creates natural prisms in the valley.

More Than Just Water Reservoirs

Dams in the state aren’t just sources of water—they’re living chronicles of the city’s past, present, and enduring mysteries. Each has its own personality, shaped by the land and the people who live around them.

Kanke Dam’s Winter Miracles

When winter tightens its grip on Ranchi, Kanke Dam transforms into something out of a fairy tale. Between late December and mid-January, the shallow edges freeze over, creating intricate ice formations that look like delicate glass sculptures at dawn. Morning joggers swear they can hear the ice “singing” as it shifts in the cold—a phenomenon scientists say occurs when expanding ice cracks under tension. The old pump house, with its peeling British-era paint, adds to the eerie atmosphere. Locals avoid this spot after dark, not just because of ghost stories, but because the sudden temperature drops near the water can be dangerously deceptive.

Dhurwa Dam: The Village Beneath

Dhurwa tells a quieter, more poignant story. When the dam was completed in 1971, an entire tribal village disappeared beneath its waters. During summer, when water levels recede, the outlines of old stone foundations emerge like ghostly footprints. Fishermen talk about their nets occasionally snagging on submerged structures, and some claim their depth finders show unusual readings in certain spots—perhaps the remains of the village’s central meeting tree. Older residents still point to specific areas: “That’s where the school stood,” or “Over there was the blacksmith’s hut.”

Rukka Dam: A Birder’s Paradise

Come November, Rukka Dam becomes Jharkhand’s most unexpected international destination. Flocks of bar-headed geese—having flown over the Himalayas from Siberia—descend on the reservoir’s backwaters. Their arrival turns the area into a living biology lesson: you can witness how these high-altitude specialists (they’re known to fly at 29,000 feet) adapt to Jharkhand’s winters. Local boys rent out binoculars, and the smarter ones carry laminated bird identification charts. The best shows happen at sunrise, when the geese take off in synchronized groups, their wings slapping the water’s surface like applause.

Patratu Valley’s Death-Defying Curves

The 32-km Patratu Ghat Road isn’t for the faint-hearted—this serpentine route with 22 hairpin bends offers panoramic views of the emerald-green Patratu Reservoir. For the ultimate vista, head to Tiger Point, the valley’s highest viewpoint at 1,070 meters, where on clear mornings you can see all the way to Ranchi’s skyline. The reservoir’s floating cottages offer a unique stay experience – fall asleep to water lapping against your bedroom walls.

Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary: Where Elephants Roam Free

Just 10km from Jamshedpur, Dalma’s 193 sq km of protected forests form Jharkhand’s most accessible wilderness. The sanctuary’s star residents – about 70 wild elephants – often cross the forest roads at dawn. Time your visit between October-March for:

-Night safaris to spot leopards and sloth bears

-The ancient Shiva temple where tribal mahouts bless their elephants

-Trekking to Dalma Peak (930m), the sanctuary’s highest point with 360° views of the Chota Nagpur Plateau

McCluskieganj’s Frozen-in-Time Charm

This Anglo-Indian hamlet seems teleported from 1930s England. Crumbling Tudor-style cottages with unlikely names like “Beverly Hills” stand abandoned amidst mango groves. The community’s last surviving residents—now in their 80s—still serve tea with stories of jazz parties that once echoed through these hills.

Tagore Hill: City’s Literary Peak

At 2,140 feet, the highest natural point in Ranchi isn’t just about altitude—it’s where Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore supposedly wrote parts of Gitanjali. The crumbling British-era bungalow at the summit now serves as a viewpoint where locals perform morning yoga sessions amidst the clouds.

Parasnath Hill: Jharkhand’s Spiritual Crown

At 1,365 meters, Parasnath Hill isn’t just Jharkhand’s highest peak—it’s one of Jainism’s most sacred pilgrimage sites. The mountain’s 31 ancient temples, including the magnificent Samosharan Temple with its striking white marble spires, mark where 20 of the 24 Tirthankaras attained enlightenment.

What makes this special:

• The Pilgrim’s Challenge: Devotees climb the 9km stone-paved path barefoot (or take the cable car) to reach the summit complex
• Panoramic Payoff: On cloudless days, views stretch across five states from the viewing platform
• Unique Ecology: The peak’s ‘shola’ grasslands harbor rare medicinal plants used in Jain rituals
• Tribal Connection: Local Santhal villagers serve as guides, sharing folk versions of the Jain tales

Why Jharkhand Defies Conventional Tourism

What makes this state extraordinary isn’t just its landscapes, but how deeply myth and reality intertwine here. Where else could you:

• Watch dawn break over a 9th-century Jain rock sculpture at Maa Dewri Temple (MS. Dhoni’s Spiritual Aid), then lunch at a dhaba serving spicy bamboo shoot curry.
• Trek through Tangi Wildlife Sanctuary to find tribal hunters using trained dogs to track porcupines, then return to Ranchi for craft cocktails at a rooftop bar.

The infrastructure is developing—new highways connect Ranchi to Netarhat’s hill stations, while homestays offer immersive village experiences. Yet Jharkhand remains defiantly raw, rewarding travellers willing to move beyond checklist tourism. Jharkhand isn’t just a destination; it’s an invitation to discover India’s last truly untamed frontier. The forests are calling—will you answer?